Let Us Love or Lettuce Love
by Elisa Dovane
Summary: The girls have defeated the last Kirema Anima, and now everything is reverting back to normal. Or almost normal. This story is about how Lettuce really feels when she sees Ryou and Ichigo hook up. All the emotions she doesn't usually display come out.DONE
1. Prologue

Let Us Love (or Lettuce Love)

A Short Tokyo Mew Mew Fanfic

By Elisa Dovane

_I will not make the same mistakes that you did /I will not let myself/Cause my heart so much misery/I will not break the way you did/You fell so hard/I've learned the hard way/To never let it get that far_

_Because of you/I never stray to far from the sidewalk/Because of you/I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt/Because of you/I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you/I am afraid  
_

_I lose my way/And it's not too long before you point it out/I cannot cry/Because you know that's weakness in your eyes/I'm forced to fake/A smile, a laugh everyday of my life/My heart can't possibly break/When it wasn't even whole to start with  
_

_Because of you/I never stray to far from the sidewalk/Because of you/I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt/Because of you/I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me/Because of you/I am afraid  
_

_I watched you die/I heard you cry every night in your sleep/I was so young/You should have known better than to lean on me/You never thought of anyone else  
You just saw your pain/And now I cry in the middle of the night/For the same damn thing_

A shaky smile appeared on Lettuce Midorikawa's face, but inside, her heart was truly ripping in two. A whole range of thoughts ran through her head before she could stop them. _How could she do this? How? She was supposed to be my friend._ The green haired girl looked on as her friend and teammate Ichigo Momomiya and, Ryou Shirogane, the boss and owner of Café Mew Mew kissed deeply in front of the girls. Pudding squealed and hugged Lettuce around the middle, laughing. Lettuce, however, felt none of it. She may have been smiling on the outside, but her insides were as cold as ice.

She knew she should be happy for her friends, as the other girls (Mint Aizawa, Zakuro Fujiwara and Pudding Fong) were, but the emotion just wasn't registering. They had just defeated the last Kirema Anima left, and there should have been a great party with hats and some of Keiichiro's famous cake. But instead she was being forced to witness her one true nightmares-someone else making out with the only real guys she'd ever had feelings of true love for. And to make it even worse, it was her friend, her _best_ friend, her _oldest_ friend. The only person in the world who she had admitted her feelings for Ryou to.

"Umm, sorry to wreck the moment," Mint said finally, "but I have to go. I've got dance lessons in less than ten minutes." At last the two kissers broke apart, and looked awkwardly at the group who was staring at them.

"Uh, yeah." Ryou said breathlessly. "All of you go home early. We can meet tomorrow to discuss the future."  
Finally, an excuse to get out of that hellhole. Lettuce picked up her bags and before anyone could say another word, she calmly walked out the door. With a sick look, she noticed that Ichigo had stayed behind to be with Ryou.

_It wasn't fair_ Lettuce thought to herself before she could catch the evil little thought and crush it. Now that it was out, she couldn't do anything to weaken it. _She has three guys drooling over her already! I mean, she has Masaya, Ryou and even Kish liked her! Why doesn't she lay off for the rest of us?_ Lettuce was shocked at herself, but couldn't stop it. It wasn't like she was repulsive or anything-she'd made friends with other guys before too, but none of them touched her as deeply as Ryou had. And now he was gone from her grasp forever. All the way home she thought evil thoughts, which only made her feel worse.

When she entered her house, she noticed that there was a message on the fridge saying that her parents had taken her little brother out with a friend and wouldn't be home till late. Good Lettuce thought _I don't think I can stand any company right now._ She opened the fridge and made herself some noodles for dinner. She sat in silence, eating and when she was done she cleaned her dishes and went up to her room.

Uncharacteristically, she ignored her homework and went to lie face down on her bed. It was then that her anger subsided and was replaced by sadness. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she tried hard to hold them back, but to no avail. It was okay though, there was no one here to notice or care.

_Song is "Because of you" By Kelly Clarkson_


	2. A Wilted Piece of Lettuce

Chapter 1

A Wilted Piece of Lettuce

"Good morning everyone." Ryou greeted his employees as they entered the pink café. As it was a Saturday, the girls were dressed in clothes other than their uniforms. Lettuce noticed the moment she stepped through the entrance that her boss was in a much better mood than usual. He was never this perky. She other the other hand still smoldered inside, but she consciously refused to try to let it show. She needed to appear normal and completely unaffected by his presence in the room. Usually, when ever she saw him she got butterflies in her stomach, blushed a lot, and she always dropped things or tripped over them. She wasn't naturally clumsy, she just seemed to be whenever she was thinking about Ryou-which was most of the time.

"How is everyone?" Keiichiro asked, coming through the door way from the kitchen. "We have some news."

"Yes." Ryou said, motioning for them to take a seat. When they had done so, he began. "We have decided to keep Café Mew Mew open even though there is no immediate need. Since you have destroyed all the Kirema Anima that were left and that we know of, you should resort to your normal selves once again. Now, you can continue to work here or you may leave. It's you're choice." He finished.

"Leave Café Mew Mew?" Cried Pudding, from her perch on the table. "No way! We're all like family! One big happy family!" _Well I'm not happy_ Lettuce mentally contradicted her, but said nothing out loud.

"Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, you've all grown on me." Mint said, ducking a playful slap from Ichigo.

"I have some time off from work, so I can stay." Zakuro said, looking around.

Lettuce was just about to add her bit when Ryou cut her off. "Okay, its decided then. You'll all stay on as waitresses." _What? Do I not count?_ Lettuce fumed. _Is that what they think? Damn it Lettuce, you're letting them walk all over you again-just like those girls from school. How can you be so weak?_

"Um, actually." Lettuce started, then stopped. She hadn't meant to say anything. For a few seconds, the café was dead silent.

"What's that Lettuce?" Keiichiro asked her, and five other pairs of eyes locked on her with slight interest. None of the people there had expected her to make any arguments; they were so used to her being supportive of anything that would keep the group together.

"Um actually," Lettuce started again, "I can't really stay. "

"Why not!" The girls cried, obviously shocked.

_Because I've been betrayed. Because I can't work with people I can't trust._ She silently argued. "Um. I have a lot of school and family work I've been forced to put off in order to save the world." She said. The lie had slipped out without her even knowing. "Now that the world is safe again, it's all going to catch up with me. If I don't want to be buried in it, I have to get at least some of it started." She continued.

"We all have stuff we need to deal with." Retorted Ichigo trying to look her friend in the eye, but Lettuce just stared though her as if she wasn't there. A hurt expression appeared on the girl's face, but only for a fraction of a second.

"But Lettuce has all those advanced classes." Mint reminded her. "She's one of the smarter ones of the group." She continued, earning a glare from her pink-haired coworker.

"What are you saying?" Ichigo asked, a threatening tone in her voice, but Mint, for once, did not rise to the challenge. Instead, she looked at Lettuce with a deep concentration, as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

"How about a leave of absence?" Keiichiro offered to her. "That way when you're done, you can come back to work? I'm sure Ryou would understand. Right Ryou?" He asked, turning to his friend and frowned slightly at what he saw.

Ryou was looking at Ichigo deeply, and only snapped to attention when he heard his name. "Huh?" He asked. "Oh, yeah. You can have some time off-take all the time you need."  
"I don't know when I'll be done. It might be a while." Lettuce replied, trying not to cry at the indifference Ryou was showing to her sudden announcement.

"Whenever you're ready, we'll be here." Keiichiro said, giving her a reassuring smile. He always knew what to say to take the sting out of Ryou's comments or actions, but this time it was useless. The damage had already been done.

"Well, I guess I'll go then." Lettuce said, standing up slowly. The tears in her eyes had already threatened to overflow, but she couldn't let them see. The group of girls and Ryou and Keiichiro watched as she turned around and walked calmly out of the café where she had spent some of the most memorable and best times of her life. Once she was beyond the pink exterior of it, she began to run down the crowded street, faster and faster, trying to run from something she knew she could never escape. She bumped into a few people who gave her both confused and rude looks. She ignored them however. She had something much more frightening to run from. Her emotions.


	3. Turning Over a New Leaf

Chapter 2

Turning Over a New Leaf

Lettuce ran all the way home, and when she pushed open the door, she was completely winded. Her mother glanced up from where she was seated at the table and looked at her daughter through stylish glasses. "What are you doing home so early?" She asked in her melodious and calming voice.

Lettuce waited until she caught her breath before she answered her. "I was given an extended vacation from work." She answered. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

"Oh that's good." Her mother replied, going back to the book she was reading. "You deserve some time off. Your boss was working you so hard in the past couple of months that you used to come home and just go to bed, you were so tired. Now you can rest."

"I don't really want to talk about my boss right now." Lettuce said, a bitter edge slightly apparent in her voice. Her mother however, didn't pick up on it and Lettuce walked out of the kitchen and up to her room. Once there, she sat down and looked at her school books. Getting some homework done might get her minds off things, so she cracked her Advanced Math textbook and began reviewing formulas. _At least I'm making good on what I told the others_ She thought, trying to figure out what 'x equaled when the y was half the area of two squares that were different sizes'.

When she finally finished the better part of her homework, she looked outside.

She noticed that the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky. A glance at her clock told her it was 5:00 pm. Her friends, (if they were still were her friends, she didn't know) were just closing up the café and getting ready to go to their separate homes. She sighed heavily. Desperately, she wanted to be part of their group again, but it was too late-she had already made her decision when she had been betrayed. For now she was on her own. But she didn't have to stay at home moping about it.

Taking her green jacket off the back of her chair, she put it on along with a green pleated skirt. She glanced at the mirror and frowned. Something still wasn't right. She took off her glasses and put in the contacts she hated to wear. They made her eyes itch a bit but it was an improvement nonetheless. Something was still off though. On an impulse, she took her hair out of its usual braids and brushed it out. The result was long waves of green hair that reached down to her waist and framed her face very nicely. Now she was ready. She walked down the stairs and out the door, telling her mom and dad that she would be home before curfew.

As she walked down the street, she realized that she had no where to go. Just walking around the city at night seemed stupid, so she ducked into a bookstore and began exploring the aisles. In the back there was a section on nature. Deciding that it was at least something to do, she began reading the spines and was shocked to find that there was a few books about the Mew Mew's located in this section. She picked up one book whose author believed that the mews were super hybrids bred by the government as a super race to protect the earth. While reading through the summary she noticed that a young boy of about eight or nine years of age had joined her in the section.

He glanced at the book she held and said, "What a crackpot author. That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. The Mew Mew's are a bunch of aliens from Mars. They're here because they don't like the way people are running the planet, and they're gonna destroy it. So the government created these big animals to try and get rid of the mew mews, but they were always defeated. Now they're gonna use a giant laser beam to shoot them all!" He said, his eyes glowing mischievously.

"And how do you know all this?" Lettuce indulged the child.

"My daddy said so, and my daddy's always right." The boy confirmed smiling proudly.

_I think you're daddy's the crackpot_ Lettuce thought and smiled inwardly. "Well good for your dad." Lettuce said, and patted the boy on the head. "Isn't all of this stuff a little advanced for you though?" She asked him.

"No!" The boy insisted. "I'm really interested in this stuff. Just like my cousin! He's really smart, and I want to be just like him."

"Oh really?" Lettuce asked again. "Well, I know for a fact that not everything you hear can be trusted." Lettuce told him, thinking of her confidence in Ichigo.

"Is that right?" A young man's voice questioned behind her. At once Lettuce whirled around to see Masaya Aoyama, Ichigo's previous love interest.

_He must be single now, if Ichigo's going out with Ryou_ Lettuce said to herself as she looked him up and down. "What are you doing here Masaya?" She asked in a polite tone.

"I'm here with my cousin, Makiko." He said, nodding to the younger boy. "We've been here for an hour and now we have to go, don't we Makiko?" He indicated to his cousin.

"Awww, can't we stay a little longer?" The young boy whined.

"No." Masaya said gently but firmly. "We're already late for your appointment. Good bye Lettuce. By the way, your hair looks nice down. I

almost didn't recognize you." He said politely, and the two quickly left the store.


	4. A Decision for the Girl in Green

Chapter Three

A Decision For the Girl in Green

_Was that a compliment from Ichigo's ex?_ Lettuce wondered as she watched the two retreating boys. _Well, isn't that interesting_ she thought. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and continued to look through the books in front of her. No matter how hard she tried though, Masaya's voice kept interrupting her train of thoughts. _That's it_ she decided, _I gotta get out of this place. Another distraction should put him out of my mind for good_. She poked her head out of the aisle and look up and down the main corridor. There was absolutely no one else in the store; not even the clerk was behind the counter. Lettuce figured he was in the back restocking. As she realized this, a most-unLettuce like thought began to creep up from the depths of her brain. If she just took the book she was holding, no one would really notice. There were no cameras or security or anything to catch her. I would be so simple. _No_ she thought firmly. _I'm better than that. If I start this now, it'll only be a matter of time before it gets worse. _She put the book back and grinned. She had won the battle between right and wrong for now. She'd never so much as shoplifted a hair ribbon, she wasn't about to start now. Instead, she walked calmly out of the store and into the cold night air. The night was aglow with neon lights and the city seemed to pulse with movement. People were brushing past her on the left and right and she was soon swept up in the commotion. She thought she'd go downtown to a nice coffeehouse and listen to some open mic poetry. As she was brsuhed along by the crowd though, she figured she'd just walk around and think for a while.

Without really having any specific destination in mind, she began walking east and kept her head down against the breeze that had picked up. When she lifted her gaze, she noticed that she was in a part of the city she had never seen before. She thought this was strange, as she had lived in Tokyo her whole life, but when she tried to distinguish where she was, nothing seemed familiar. Everything seemed more upscale than what she was used to and she was fascinated, but still, a slight edge of fear began to lace itself around her consciousness. Realizing this, she quickly doused the fear and doubt, trying to appear strong. Turning around, she began to retrace her steps when a hand reached out and grabbed her from behind. Her cry of surprise was muffled as she was brought into a dark alleyway. Images of her being mugged ran quickly through her stream of consciousness and she began to panic and struggle. She didn't need this. Not tonight. Not after everything she'd just been through.

"For goodness sakes! Calm down Lettuce." A familiar voice spoke out behind her.

She turned around and to her surprise she found Mint staring back at her.

"Jeez Mint, you almost gave me a heart attack." She scolded the blue-haired girl.

"Yeah well, I had to get your attention. I saw you a few blocks back and called out to you, but you didn't listen. You looked like you were deep in thought. What's going on?" She asked, looking her friend up and down. "You don't usually dress like this. Oh, and I need some answers." She finished in an offhanded kind of way.

"Mint, what are really you doing? Why are we in a dark alleyway? And what do you mean by answers? Do you mean, like help with homework?" Lettuce asked, confused.

Mint sighed heavily and walked out of the alley, motioning for Lettuce to follow her. "Maybe we should go somewhere more appropriate." She said, beginning to walk down the street.

Now Lettuce was completely confused. What was she doing? Why was Mint so concerned? She usually only talked to Lettuce to scold her for breaking plates. This was a whole new side that she had never even seen before. Deciding that she could just leave if Mint got too prying, the girl in green decided to follow her friend, and together they took a stroll through the late night air.

_I know this isn't how Lettuce usually acts-don't get mad at me! Remember the pain and confusion she's feeling right now. Don't worry folks, it's all part of the story and is sure to build up to something._


	5. Peeling Back the Layers

Chapter Four

Peeling Back the Layers

"So where are we going?" Lettuce asked Mint as they made their way down a street filled with shops sellingexpensive objects 'de art.

"I know a nice little place that makes a killer pot of tea." Mint replied, not looking back at the girl who was following her. "It should be around here somewhere." She said, turning on to another street.

When Lettuce looked around, she noticed that they were in Mint's neighborhood. In fact, they were down the street from Mint's massive mansion. _Oh_ Lettuce thought, secretly relieved that things started to feel familiar.

"Here it is." Mint said, stopping short and almost causing Lettuce to run into her. "Let's go in."

When they had been seated and had ordered, Mint looked at Lettuce intensely. No conversation was exchanged between them. Lettuce was beginning to get nervous and was about to dismiss herself, when their order came up and they were presented with two cups of steaming tea.

"Um, was there something that you wanted to talk to me about?" Lettuce asked as Mint poured sugar and cream into her cup.

"Like I said back in the alleyway, I want some answers." Mint replied glancing up.

Lettuce sighed. She was seriously getting tired of these guessing games.

Sensing her frustration, Mint decided to clarify. "What's going on with you?" She asked. "I've never seen you like this before. I can tell something's bothering you, and as much as it goes against my nature," she continued, rolling her eyes, " I want to try to help. Just don't tell any of the others, I do have a reputation to uphold you know."

"I don't understand what you mean." Lettuce said, deciding that she would try to deny anything Mint suggested. It was just the easiest way to deal with the situation-to deny it to everyone but herself.

"Come on Lettuce, aren't we friends? Aren't we all there for each other when we need to be?" Mint asked.

"I wish that were true." Lettuce whispered quietly, looking down at her tea and absentmindedly stirring it with her spoon.

Mint sighed sadly, and Lettuce fell back into the habit ofinstantly felt guilty. Here was her friend, trying to help her, and she was being completely rude. Lettuce lifted her eyes and looked into her friend's hazel eyes where a slight look of hurthadappeared. She sighed and started again. "I'm sorry Mint. I'm just all over the place these days. Something happened…something that I can't control, and it just killed me. I need some time to recover…and to catch up on other stuff. It'll be hard, but don't worry. Once I've worked past it, I'll try to come back to the café. I promise." This seemed to make Mint feel better, and the pain was removed from her stare.

"Good. We all miss you at the cafe. Especially Ichigo. She wouldn't shut up about how she wished you were back."

Lettuce flinched slightly at Ichigo's name, but Mint didn't see.

"She was telling me today while I was on my break that you always made the cafe brighter. She was even kind of sad when there weren't any broken plates to clean up at the end of the day. 'Sure she was clumsy' Ichigo said, 'But she was so sweet, it was easy to forgive her.' Anyways, now that that's settled," Mint continued, "I want to know why you were out here tonight. I don't usually see my coworkers in this part of town unless they're visiting me. You however, seemed to be on a mission of your own. Were you trying to work past whatever it is that is bothering you?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Actually, I had no idea where I was." Lettuce replied honestly enough. "I was just taking a walk after I ran into Masaya-"

"You ran into Masaya?" Mint asked, interrupting for a second. "Where?"

"In a bookstore." Lettuce continued, and the whole story came out. About her meeting Masaya's cousin, and then Masaya, and even her thoughts about taking the book.

Mint actually gasped when she heard the last part. "Oh Lettuce, I'm so glad you didn't. Whatever you're going through, you shouldn't resort to petty theft to solve your problems. If you ever need to vent, I'm here for you to talk to."

"Thanks." Lettuce said, but was unsure. After trusting Ichigo, she was cautious about talking to anyone else. She looked at her watch, and was shocked. She had spent almost an hour here with Mint and was ten minutes late for curfew. "I hate to cut this chat short," She said, looking back at Mint, "but I was due home almost ten minutes ago."  
"I'm sorry to have kept you." Mint said. "I'll have my driver take you back home immediately." She flipped open her purse, dialed a number on her cell phone, and a few seconds later she was saying goodbye as Lettuce got into the car.

"Thanks again Mint!" Lettuce said again, getting a wave from her friend as the car sped off in the night.


	6. Emotions Building Up

Chapter Five

Emotions Building Up

"Young lady, you were supposed to be home almost fifteen minutes ago. I thought you told your mother you'd be back before curfew." Lettuce's father greeted her as she walked into the darkened house. He didn't raise his voice- they weren't that kind of family. But the way he said it was so that she knew she was in trouble.

Both her father and mother were waiting in the kitchen when she entered. Their arms were crossed and they both wore disappointed looks on their faces. Lettuce struggled not to roll her eyes and sigh out loud. Instead, she looked at the floor, appearing sorrowful and said, "I'm sorry mother, father. I didn't mean to stay out late, I was with a friend."

A look passed between her parents. They knew how hard it was for Lettuce to make friends, but they had to stick to their principles. "We understand that you have a social life now," her mother started, "but that was no reason to miss curfew. We need to know where you are and who you're with." She continued. "So because you failed to inform us and you broke curfew, we are going to have to ground you for two days."

"Two days?" Lettuce asked, her face falling even more. She had never been grounded before. Ever. It just didn't happen to her.

"One day for each offense." Her father said, looking her in the eye now.

"Okay." Lettuce said in a defeated voice. She knew it was better if she didn't push her luck. With that, she went upstairs, changed into her pajamas and lay down under her covers. A few minutes later, she heard the door open and someone come up to her bed.

"Are you okay, sis?" Her little brother asked. Lettuce smiled in the dark. He was always asking her this. He was mature for his age, and really looked up to his older sister.

"I'm fine, thanks. There's nothing wrong. Go back to bed." She replied gently, and a few seconds later she heard the patter of his feet fade from her room. Outside, the sky was dotted with stars, and Lettuce looked at them, trying not to think about what she just told her brother. Nothing was alright right now, and she didn't know when it would be. It seemed like everything was going wrong for her, and she just wanted it to end.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On Sunday, Lettuce stayed home and completed what was left of her homework. She didn't venture out from the house, as she was grounded, and when she was done with her formulas, she decided to keep busy by cleaning her room. She looked for anything to keep her mind off the picture of Ryou and Ichigo kissing that kept playing in her head.

While she was going through her closet, she found a box containing mementos of her time at Café Mew Mew. There was a napkin from one of the tables, a menu from her first day of work, and even a piece of the one hundredth plate that she had accidentally broken. She took all of these items out and placed them on the floor where she had ended up sitting. At the bottom of the box there was a picture of all the girls in their waitressing outfits, with Ryou and Keiichiro off to the side. Lettuce was in the middle of the picture and looked so happy. A bright smile was on her face, and she was surrounded by her friends. Thinking back to the time when this picture was taken, Lettuce began to tear up and she silently cried as she placed all the items back into the box and put it in the farthest depths of her closet.

The next day, Lettuce was late to school for the first time that she could remember.Her eyes were red and puffy from crying all night long, and she didn't mind that she was briefly scolded by her teacher when she entered homeroom.Silently,she took a seat at the back of the room. She was quiet the whole day through, yet no one seemed to notice anything different. For once, she was glad that she never attracted much attention-it made the day that much easier to get through.


	7. Confrontation

Chapter Six

Confrontation

That was it. Lettuce was done with her little out of character experience. She was just so exhausted having a certain persona all the time and she reverted to her usually quite, sad self. She slogged through the days- the only joy she got now was from the good grades she got. _At least I'm doing something right_ She'd think to herself. Everyday she'd get home from school and lock herself in her room to do homework-periodically emerging to get something to eat or go for a walk. Almost without meaning to, her walks always lead her to the park where Café Mew Mew was located. It was these times that she would stare at the establishment until tears filled her eyes before she scolded herself silently and found another way home.

After a few days of these tormenting experiences, Lettuce was in her room reading after school when there was a knock on her door.

"Lettuce, one of your friends is here." Her little brother informed her.

Sighing sadly, Lettuce marked her place in the book, and got up to go downstairs. She expected it was one of the girls from school who wanted to bully her into doing their assignments again. Quietly she ventured down the stairs and tried to distinguish the voices in the living room, where she assumed her guest and her parents were talking. She picked out her mother and her father's voices easily, but could not place the third tone. It seemed familiar, but she could not picture the owner.

She entered the living room, and stopped in shock when she saw who it was. She was about to make a dash back upstairs, but her mother had already spotted her and foiled any plans she had of avoiding the guest.

"Oh Lettuce, there you are. You're friend Ichigo wanted to talk to you." Her mother said.

Lettuce slowly turned around and tried to plaster a polite smile on her face, but didn't quite succeed. Instead, she started to tear up and blush a bright shade of crimson.

Noticing Lettuce's reaction towards her, Ichigo turned politely to the Midorikawa's and said politely, " I have a quick question about a math problem. I won 't be too long."

"Stay as long as you like." Lettuce's father said. "Our Lettuce is quite the little scholar." He continued, beaming at his daughter.

"Let's go upstairs Lettuce." Ichigo said, getting up from her seat and grabbing the girl by the arm before she could protest.

When the two were in Lettuce's room and the door was locked, Ichigo turned and looked at her friend who had taken a seat on the lime comforter that covered her bed. The look of embarressment had left Lettuce's face, but the pained expression remained. Slowly, Ichigo moved towards the comforter and sat next to her.

"What do you want Ichigo?" Lettuce asked calmly, not allowing her feelings to seep into her tone. If she had to talk to the pink-haired girl she would, but she wouldn't grant her the satisfaction of hearing how badly she'd been hurt.

"I want to talk to you about what's going on." Ichigo replied carefully, measuring the emotions displayed on Lettuce's face.

"You lied to my parents." Lettuce said, still trying to keep all emotion from her voice.

"And you lied to us." Ichigo replied, her eyes looking down at her shoes, and her hands clasped in front of her.

"What do you mean?" Lettuce asked, trying to catch the girl's eye and see how much she actually knew. Ichigo just shook her head and then raised it to meet her friend's gaze.

"You've been done with all the extra work you've been given. I came over her to try and talk to you into coming back to work, and your parents explained that they were wondering why you hadn't returned since you were done with your school work."

"They…they don't understand." Lettuce said slowly.

"What don't they understand? Why haven't you _really_ come back to work Lettuce?" Ichigo asked insistently.

Lettuce said nothing for a few seconds-she just stared at the girl sitting across from her. Should she tell her what she had done? Did she deserve an explanation after all the pain she caused? Lettuce took a deep breath and opened her mouth


	8. A Bud of Truth

Chapter 7

A Bud of Truth

"You remember when I told you my feelings about…." Lettuce began, but paused, thinking that this was ridiculous. If Ichigo didn't know what she'd done, then she wasn't the person Lettuce believed her to be.

Ichigo, however, had a feeling about where the conversation was heading and finished the sentence for her. "About Ryou?" She asked.

Lettuce's eyes blazed for a minute, but let the feeling pass and nodded silently.

"Are you acting like this because of what happened at the Café when we got back?" Ichigo asked, the truth finally dawning on her. Again, Lettuce nodded and looked down at her comforter, tears from the memory barely concealed behind her bangs. When she looked up again, she was surprised to see the expression on Ichigo's face. Her friend was actually _smiling_. Once more, the slow burn of anger began to resonate in Lettuce's core, but before she could say a word, Ichigo burst out laughing.

"Oh, Lettuce!" Ichigo said when she had contained herself.

"What?" Lettuce replied, confused and annoyed by the reaction.

"I'll tell you what," Ichigo said, her eyes glittering, "I'll explain what happened if you come to the Café next Friday at seven in the evening. And not till then!" she finished, and got up to leave.

"What is this _really_ all about Ichigo?" Lettuce asked, hoping to at least get _some_ answers tonight.

"Bye Lettuce!" Ichigo said, ignoring her friend's question. "And don't forget! Friday at seven!" She called as she ran down the stairs, said a hurried goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Midorikawa and went out the front door.

As each day in the week passed Lettuce become more and more nervous. She couldn't even think about what was going to happen when she set foot in the Pink Café that she once considered her second home. Would all the other girls ignore her? Or laugh at her? Or even worse, would Ryou laugh at her? She began to dread the end of the week, and even considered not going to Café Mew Mew a few times, but her curiosity got the best of her, and on Thursday she decided she would go no matter what.

Friday dawned clear and cool, but the cheery weather did not lift the feeling of anxiety Lettuce felt. She carefully got dressed in her school uniform and said good bye to her parents as she usually did. On her way to school, she thought about taking an alternate route that led closer to the café, but then she remembered the deal to stay away from it until seven that night. So she stuck to her usual route and gazed at the peach blossoms overhead. The sight of the little flowers raised her mood a little, and she arrived at school with the first smile on her face in a while.

Throughout the whole day, she tried to keep her mind on her studies, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus. By lunchtime, her mind was wandering freely over possibilities of what would happen that night. And when school got out, she could barely control herself as she walked home and up the stairs to her room. Once she had locked the door, she threw her book bag on her desk and took out some of its contents. Going through her assignments was a tried and true method of keeping her mind off of things, and so she worked diligently until five o'clock. She then went down to eat dinner and talk with her family around the dinner table. During dessert, her mother asked if she had plans later on, she nonchalantly said that she was going to Café Mew Mew at seven.

"Oh really?" Her father asked, his eyebrows raised. "Good for you."

"You'd better finish up then." Her mother said, looking at the clock which read six thirty. Lettuce nodded, finished her food and went upstairs to change. She emerged ten minutes later in a light green jacket complimented by a pink tank top and a lavender layered skirt. She also chose to wear her hair down again, so the girls would not expect her usual appearance. With a quick kiss to her parents, she picked up her purse from the counter and stepped out into the night.

_Sorry for yet another cliffhanger ending, but I really wanted the next chapter to be one of its own-I'll take bets as to what happens if anyone has them. :)_


	9. Growing

Chapter 8

Growing

Quickly, Lettuce hurried in the direction of Café Mew Mew, full of anticipation and butterflies. She couldn't imagine what was in store for her and each passing moment felt like an eternity to her. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she did not notice that the closer she got to the café, the brighter her surroundings became. She finally was snapped out of her thoughts when she came to the edge of the property that the establishment was on and saw a long line of fabulously dressed people waiting outside. The café was decorated so beautifully, and everyone was in long sparkly evening gowns or tuxes and it seemed like they were all waiting for someone to come out. Lettuce felt completely underdressed, and was about to leave when someone emerged from the café doors and announced that the crowd could now enter. That one person made Lettuce freeze in her tracks.

It was Ryou. Ryou as Lettuce had seen him only once before- in a white tux and tie, his platinum hair shimmering in the moonlight. He seemed to sense her gaze on him, and instantly he rushed to her.

"We were wondering if you were going to show." He said as he approached her.

"Ryou," she said quietly, not looking him in the eye, "what's going on?"

"Come on in, and you'll see." He said, as if he was inviting her to a secret place where the two of them could be alone.

Lettuce numbly followed him into the café and gazed around at the room. It was packed with people and there was a four string quartet accompanied by a pianist playing classical music.

"I think I'm a little underdressed." She said to Ryou.

"Yes. You are." He agreed. From nowhere came Keiichiro with a box. "If you want to go upstairs, you can change into this." He said, looking at her. "But leave your hair down…it looks nice."

Lettuce involuntarily blushed at the comment and took the box. She raced upstairs and into a spare room. When she opened the box, there was a glorious green silk dress that probably cost a fortune, Lettuce reasoned. It had a low neckline, trimmed in sequins and a large ribbon that tied in the back. Lettuce quickly put it on along with the green heels and gloves that accompanied it, and gazed at her reflection ina mirror on the wall. After a while, she figured she'd better go rejoin the party, or there would be a search to find her. As she left the room, something else in the box caught her eye. She went over and lifted out a white rose blossom. Wondering at the flower, she tucked it in her hair next to her ear and walked down the stairs.

Her entrance back into the party attracted some attention, and soon she could see people smiling at her and whispering to their neighbors. It seemed they were all trying to figure out who she was. Lettuce blushed at this realization, and headed out to the back balcony so no one could see.

As she stood out in the night, she heard the door open behind her, and when she turned to see who it was, Ichigo appeared at her side dressed in an elegant dress in different shades of pink, and her hair in its usual ribboned pigtails.

"Can I have some answers now?" Lettuce asked as they both leaned against the stone railing.

Ichigo sighed and looked at her. "Go ahead. Ask what you want. I will try to answer."  
"What happened that day with you and … you know." Lettuce asked. It was the most important thing on her mind, and she wanted an answer, but was at the same time afraid of what she might hear.

"What happened that day…….was…well, the truth is, Ryou and I were caught up in the moment. We didn't mean to do it, me especially. I knew how you felt, plus I still love Masaya. But at that moment, I wasn't thinking. I was just so happy to finally be able to have a normal life and not have to worry about my ears or tail popping out anymore. After everyone left, I stayed behind and talked to Ryou about it. I told him that I couldn't be with him because there was someone else who wished to be."

"You didn't tell him it was me, did you?" Lettuce asked, horrified.

"No, I kept my silence, but Ryou is a smart guy. I think he'll figure it out sooner rather than later." Ichigo said with a smile.

"So you and Masaya..?" Lettuce asked.

"Are still together. I told him about the incident and he wasn't happy, but we're working through it." Ichigo said.

"And you and Ryou..?" Lettuce pushed.

Ichigo turned around to face the door that led back inside and smiled. Then she whispered in Lettuce's ear "He's all yours." And left her.

Lettuce spun around and saw Ryou gazing at her intently.

"You…you look beautiful." Ryou said, walking toward her.

"Thank you for the dress, and the rose." Lettuce said, and smiled at the ground.

"You make them lovely. Would you care to come inside and dance?" He asked her warmly, and took her hand.

Once they were inside, the band musicians began to play again, and as they twirled around the dance floor, Lettuce spotted each of the other girls dancing as well. There was Zakuro and Keiichiro, Ichigo and Masaya, Mint and a young gentleman, and even Pudding was dancing with someone Lettuce recognized as Makiko, Masaya's younger cousin. Although dancing probably wasn't the right word-they were chasing each other around the dance floor, and Pudding was incorporating some of her tricks into the routine.

After the dance ended, the girls gathered around Lettuce and Ryou and headed off to a table. Moments later, Keiichiro began serving cake, and soon everyone was enjoying it.

"So, are you coming back to work soon?" Mint asked Lettuce.

"If it would be alright…" She said, looking at Ryou.

"Please." He said, looking her in the eye. "I would love it."

Pudding giggled, and Zakuro smiled slightly. Everything was falling back into place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When the party was over, Lettuce lingered behind to pick up a few tokens to remember the night by. She had changed back into her regular clothes and was gathering small favors when Ryou came up behind her. He too, had changed back into the black vest and white pants that he usually wore and he had his hands behind his back.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked, and Lettuce nodded.

"But I still don't know what the party was for." She admitted.

"As far as anyone else knows, it was a benefit for a local school. But for the Mew Mews, it was a celebration of a complete mission. It was the party we were supposed to have a few weeks ago. Before one of our most valued members decided to leave us. But I'm glad she came back." He said, smiling, causing Lettuce to grin as well.

From behind is back, he produced two glasses and a bottle of Sparkling Cider. He poured equal amounts into both and handed one to Lettuce. "Hold on, I'll be right back." He said, and went into the kitchen.

When he came out, he was carrying a small whitecake with two marzipan figurines topping it. One was of Lettuce in the gown she had worn that night, and the other was of Ryou in his tux and they were holding hands and kissing. He set the cake down on the table and raised his glass.

"To new beginnings…" he said smiling kindly, "may they never end."

"To new beginnings…"Lettuce agreed, and raised her glass as well.

**THE END**


End file.
